Indian Astronomical Observatory
Encyclopedia
The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), located near Leh in Ladakh
, India
, has one of the world's highest sites for optical
, infrared
and gamma-ray telescopes. It is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics
, Bengaluru
. It is currently the second highest optical telescope in the world.
in south-eastern Ladakh
in the eastern Jammu and Kashmir
state of India
. Accessing the observatory, located near the Chinese border, requires a ten-hour drive from Leh, the district capital of Ladakh. The Observatory is at an altitude of 4,500 m (14,764 ft).
. The scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics found the site at Hanle.
The first light was seen by the Observatory 2-metre telescope on the midnight hour between September 26 and September 27, 2000.
The satellite link between the Centre for Research and Education in Science and Technology (CREST), Bengaluru and Hanle was inaugurated by the then Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah
on June 2, 2001. The Observatory was dedicated to the nation on August 29, 2001.
satellite link which allows operation even in sub-zero temperatures in winter..
A Himalayan Gamma Ray Observatory (HiGRO) is being set up at Hanle in collaboration with Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
. This is currently in the advanced stage of commissioning and is expected to be functional by 2018.
The Major Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment (MACE) is also expected to be set up here by December 2012 . The Experiment expects to have a 21 meter collector which can collect gamma rays from space . The effort to establish the facility is led by Bhaba Atomic Research Center, Mumbai in collaboration with Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru and Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata. The facility is estimated to cost Rs. 40 crores . Once completed it will be the only such facility in the eastern hemisphere.
Ladakh
Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, has one of the world's highest sites for optical
Optical telescope
An optical telescope is a telescope which is used to gather and focus light mainly from the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum for directly viewing a magnified image for making a photograph, or collecting data through electronic image sensors....
, infrared
Infrared telescope
An infrared telescope is a telescope that uses infrared light to detect celestial bodies.Infrared light is one of several types of radiation present in the electromagnetic spectrum....
and gamma-ray telescopes. It is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics
Indian Institute of Astrophysics
The Indian Institute of Astrophysics , with its headquarters in Bangalore , India, is a premier national institute of India for the study of and research into topics pertaining to astronomy, astrophysics and related subjects....
, Bengaluru
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. It is currently the second highest optical telescope in the world.
Location
The Indian Astronomical Observatory stands on Mt. Saraswati, Digpa-ratsa Ri, HanleHanle (village)
Hanle is a village in Ladakh, India. It is the site of the 17th century Hanle Monastery of the "Red Hat" Tibetan Drukpa Kagyu branch of Tibetan Buddhism and is located in the Hanle Valley on an old branch of the ancient Ladakh - Tibet trade route...
in south-eastern Ladakh
Ladakh
Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
in the eastern Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
state of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Accessing the observatory, located near the Chinese border, requires a ten-hour drive from Leh, the district capital of Ladakh. The Observatory is at an altitude of 4,500 m (14,764 ft).
History
In the late 1980s a committee chaired by Prof. B. V. Sreekantan recommended that a national large optical telescope be taken up as a priority project. The search for the site of the observatory was taken up in 1992 under the leadership of Prof. Arvind BhatnagarArvind Bhatnagar
Arvind Bhatnagar made significant contributions to Solar Astronomy, and founded several planetaria across India. He was the founder-director of the Udaipur Solar Observatory, and the founder director of Nehru Planetarium of Bombay..-Publications:...
. The scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics found the site at Hanle.
The first light was seen by the Observatory 2-metre telescope on the midnight hour between September 26 and September 27, 2000.
The satellite link between the Centre for Research and Education in Science and Technology (CREST), Bengaluru and Hanle was inaugurated by the then Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah
Farooq Abdullah
Farooq Abdullah , born 21 October 1937 in Soura, Jammu & Kashmir, India), is the son of Sheikh Abdullah, is a doctor of medicine and has served as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on several occasions since 1982. He is married to Molly, a nurse of British origin...
on June 2, 2001. The Observatory was dedicated to the nation on August 29, 2001.
Observation
The Hanle site is deemed to be excellent for visible, infrared and submillimeter observations throughout the year. Specifically the observation conditions yield about 255 spectroscopic nights per year, approximately 190 photometric nights per year and an annual rain plus snow precipitation of less than 10 cm. In addition, there are low ambient temperatures, low humidity, low concentration of atmospheric aerosols, low atmospheric water vapour, dark nights and low pollution.Facilities
The Observatory has two active telescopes. These are the 2.01 meter optical-infrared Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) and a High Altitude Gamma Ray Telescope (HAGAR). The HCT is remotely operated from Bengaluru from the Centre for Research and Education in Science and Technology (CREST) using a dedicated satellite link.Himalayan Chandra Telescope
The Himalayan Chandra Telescope is a 2.01 meters (6.5 feet) diameter optical-infrared telescope named after India-born Nobel laureate Subrahmanyam Chandrasekhar.. It contains a modified Ritchey-Chretien system with a primary mirror made of ULE ceramic which is designed to withstand low temperatures it experiences. The telescope was manufactured by Electo-Optical System Technologies Inc. at Tucson, Arizona, USA. The telescope is mounted with 3 science instruments called Himalaya Faint Object Spectrograph (HFOSC), the near-IR imager and the optical CCD imager. The telescope is remotely operated via a INSAT-3BINSAT-3B
INSAT-3B is an Indian communications satellite which was built and is operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation.- Overview :INSAT – 3B is the first of the five ISRO built satellites under INSAT – 3 series to join INSAT system.It is based on the I-2000 satellite bus...
satellite link which allows operation even in sub-zero temperatures in winter..
High Altitude Gamma Ray Telescope
The High Altitude Gamma Ray Telescope (HAGAR) is an atmospheric Cerenkov experiment with 7 telescopes setup in 2008. Each telescope has 7 mirrors with a total area of 4.4 square meters. The telescopes are deployed on the periphery of a circle of radius 50 meters with one telescope at the center. Each telescope has alt-azimuth mounting.Center for Research and Education in Science and Technology
The Center for Research and Education in Science and Technology (CREST) is situated 35 km to the northeast of Bengaluru near Hoskote town. The Center houses the control room for the remote operations of the 2m Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) at the Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle, and the HCT data archive. The operations are controlled using a remote satellite link.Upcoming Facilities
The Indian Institute of Astrophysics is collaborating with the McDonell Center for the Space Sciences of Washington University in St. Louis, USA to operate two 0.5 meters Cassegrain telescopes to monitor active galactic nuclei. One of the observatories is to be established in Hanle. The facilities 180 degrees apart in longitude are together to be called the Antipodal Transient Observatory (ATO).A Himalayan Gamma Ray Observatory (HiGRO) is being set up at Hanle in collaboration with Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research is a research institution in India dedicated to basic research in mathematics and the sciences. It is a Deemed University and works under the umbrella of the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India. It is located at Navy Nagar, Colaba, Mumbai...
and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is India's primary nuclear research facility based in Mumbai. It has a number of nuclear reactors, all of which are used for India's nuclear power and research programme.- History :...
. This is currently in the advanced stage of commissioning and is expected to be functional by 2018.
The Major Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment (MACE) is also expected to be set up here by December 2012 . The Experiment expects to have a 21 meter collector which can collect gamma rays from space . The effort to establish the facility is led by Bhaba Atomic Research Center, Mumbai in collaboration with Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru and Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata. The facility is estimated to cost Rs. 40 crores . Once completed it will be the only such facility in the eastern hemisphere.
